A Small Gift
by Goth Albino Angel
Summary: Christine goes down to give Erik something special. Meanwhile, an unhappy Carlotta is prowling the Opera House.


**_I don't own any form of the Phantom of the Opera. _**

**_Alright this is a story I'm doing because the Bunny was going to throw carrots at me if I didn't do it. She MADE me do it! So here it is. I probably got some tf the details wrong, but instead of making it something super gory or whatever as I intended sometime around Halloween, I've turned it into a fluff one-shot. As per request, Raoul is not the bad guy and Christine and Erik are together._**

**_Also to be noted, I made Christine a tad more competent than she actually is in this and she knows Erik by his name (Erik, duh), but enjoys calling him her Angel of Music still. I also changed the ordering of events... somewhat. You'll understand when you read it, I'm not spoiling for you. ^_^_**

**_Hopefully, the Bunny enjoys it (floppy-eared menace that she is) and maybe you guys will like it as well._**

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Carlotta stormed through the halls of the Opera House, glaring at anything that came into sight and making workers cower with her gaze. However, she had nothing personal against any of them. The person she wanted to suffer was a certain soprano that had recently stolen her spotlight as diva.

Christine Daae. Just three weeks before, she had sung for the new managers and now she was the starlet of the Opera House, pushing Carlotta to the backlines as if she hadn't existed in the first place. It made the snobbish woman seethe in rage to know that people thought someone could beat her voice.

There was no way such a rat could even think to compete with a voice such as hers. She had heard Christine sing the first time the girl had tried and she had sounded like a dying cat. The reviews must have been rigged or something of the like. Nodding to herself, Carlotta continued through the Opera House, wondering how to keep herself as the top diva in the building.

_Meanwhile,_

Christine walked along the halls, smiling slightly as she opened a door along the walls and headed down the precarious stairs. Behind her, she held a surprise for her dear Angel of Music. She felt bad knowing he had taught her everything and she had yet to repay him.

Moving along the passageway, the young soprano crept as slowly as she could in order to take her angel by surprise. Coming out in the cavern with the large lake in it, Christine made her way to the bridge her Angel had built just for her to cross. It was almost invisible in the dim lighting, but Christine could make it out fairly well because of practice.

Walking along the bridge, the soprano shifted slightly, wondering whether or not the Angel would actually appreciate her gift. It was a bit bigger than she expected it would be after all. What if Erik did not like big objects? What would she do if he rejected the gift? Shaking her head so as not to think about that, Christine continued on to the house built in the middle of the underground lake.

Taking a look around, the young soprano noticed that everything seemed to be in perfect condition, as always. The piano did seem to have a few new music sheets littering the top of its surface, but she knew better than to take a look. Erik wanted his work to be secret, so Christine was going to leave it alone until he was ready to show her.

Turning as a door opened suddenly, Christine hid her gift behind her back again to be certain she didn't give away the surprise. There, in the doorway, stood her angel. Erik stepped from the room, skin still damp from the shower he had obviously just finished taking. Christine stared as the muscles in his chest rippled with each movement he made and his hair shining like onyx beneath the candlelight, curled slightly at the end to indicate that he had just finished drying it. Christine watched him move closer, mesmerized by the way the candle glowed on his damp skin.

"Christine?" Erik's soft tenor voice reached her ears and the soprano shook her head, snapping from her reverie. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to visit you." Christine replied shyly, looking up at the Phantom from beneath her eyelashes.

"Oh?" Erik raised a perfect eyebrow and moved over to a chair, motioning for her to sit as well. "Is there a reason for such a visit?" he asked as Christine took a seat opposite him.

"Actually, there is." the soprano took a deep breath. "As you know, I am the new success of the opera." Erik nodded, a bright smile on his lips. "Well, it made me upset knowing that you had created me, had helped me become the singer I am, but I could not return the favor to you."

Erik's smile fell immediately upon hearing that. "Christine, you don't have to-."

"I don't want to do it because I have to." Christine piped in hurriedly. "I wanted… to be able to thank you in some way, but there was nothing I could do considering you are le fantôme de l'opéra." Here, Erik let out a slight chuckle and gave her a nod.

"So, I did the only thing I could think of in such a situation. I was given a portion of the proceedings that came from the first show. With the money, I went out and hired an artist. He came back here with me and I had him… make this for you."

From behind her back, Christine produced a painting that was nearly as big as she. Erik surveyed it curiously, taking in the detail. The portrait was of Christine herself standing onstage in the same dress needed to sing Think of Me. The angle was absolutely perfect for catching the almost mournful expression on her face. It was evident that the painting was done with a lot of care.

"It's beautiful." the masked man whispered, eyes moving to the blushing face opposite him.

"Do you like it?" the soprano inquired quietly, shifting slightly in her seat.

"Of course I do." Erik stood and moved to kneel before his siren. "It is clear that you tried really hard to think of something to thank me with and there is no greater gift I could ask for than this. It is absolutely perfect, Christine."

A beaming smile broke out across Christine's face and she slowly set the painting aside so she could cautiously hug her angel, being careful not to jostle the mask on his face lest he try to deny her such contact. Erik returned the embrace with a small smile and pulled back, grabbing at the portrait.

"Where shall we hang it?" he asked jubilantly, looking around his home speculatively.

"Perhaps near the piano?" Christine suggested.

"Ah, wonderful idea." her companion agreed, moving to his prized piano. "That way, whenever my muse is blocked, I can simply look over and remember the reason I compose in the first place."

"I fear I may die of blushing if you keep speaking like that, Erik." Christine sighed dreamily, watching him hang the painting on the wall near the piano.

"I shall stop at once then." Erik laughed, turning back to her. "It would be a shame to lose you so early after we've finally met each other."

"True indeed." Christine agreed with a nod. "Sadly, this is all the time I could spare. Madame wants me back upstairs for recitals on the next piece. I will be dancing in it as Carlotta will be performing as lead soprano."

Erik cocked his head in annoyance. "I am going to have a talk with the managers about that woman." he grumbled with a shake of his head.

"Please try not to do anything rash until after the next performance?" the soprano pleaded, looking up at him.

Erik gave a soft sigh and nodded. "As you wish it. I will behave until after the next performance." Taking Christine's hand in his own, he bent and kissed the back of it, causing yet another blush to erupt on the fair cheeks. "Until we meet again then, my darling."

"Until then, my angel." Christine replied with a slight curtsy, turning and hurrying for the staircase. It was never in one's best wishes to be late to one of Madame's recitals after all.

**_…_**

Carlotta moved to the theatre and observed her target speculatively, eyes narrowed. How could that little worm possibly have a better voice than her own? She was so small and timid-looking. There was no way! Crossing her arms, the arrogant woman continued watching for a moment before turning and making her way back out into the lobby.

"Mademoiselle!" She heard a voice shout from off to her left. Glancing in that direction, Carlotta spotted the new managers coming toward her with large smiles.

"Mademoiselle Carlotta, it is wonderful to see you again!" the shorter of the two smiled at her.

"Yes, we were actually just looking for you." the other beamed.

"Moi?" Carlotta inquired. "Pour quoi?"

"We wanted to know if you were still interested in singing for us?" the short one replied.

"We enjoyed hearing Mademoiselle Christine's voice, but she is not a veteran singer as you are." the tall man explained. "She has not quite learned the ropes and we fear that may reflect badly on the opera. We need someone who is more experienced and knows how things are done."

"Ah, I see." Carlotta let her signature smirk-sneer combo slide back onto her face. "Well, messieurs, it would be rude of me to refuse such a cry for help. Of course I will assist in upholding the name of the Grand Opéra de Paris."

"Wonderful!" the short man all but squealed. "We expect to see you at rehearsal in the morning, Mademoiselle."

"Of course, messieurs." Carlotta nodded to them. Once they were out of sight, her smirk fell fully into place.

_It seems they still need me after all. Perhaps Christine is not as much a threat as I thought she would be._ Turning on her heel, the diva began making her way to her dressing room, not noticing the pair of narrowed brown eyes watching her from the shadows.

Erik watched the menace retreat down the hall and crossed his arms, leaning against the wall a moment. _I promised Christine I would be good for the next performance, but after that, I am definitely doing something about that… peacock._

And with that, the Angel of Music, Monsieur Le Fantome, disappeared into the shadows and melted along passageways, back home to wait until the moment he could see his beloved again and hear her siren song fill the air around him once more.

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**_Alright, guys, there you have it. Hopefully, I don't get enslaved by the Bunny to do anything else. Drop me a review, alright? Tell me exactly how badly I screwed up the Phantom of the Opera... or whether or not you liked the fic._**


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